Yuleteens: Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens and Tweens 2017

Ooooo it’s that always tricky to buy for group on the docket today: teens and tweens. On the one hand – I get it. This group can be SUPER easy to buy for because they have quite distinctive tastes. But if they’re not giving up the goods on what they want or you want to go ‘off list’ and get them something awesome, well my friends, let this gift guide truly guide the way for you.

Celestial One Line a Day – $24.95Keeping a diary is a quintessential teenage pastime, although these days teens are far more likely to bare their soul online than in print. Encourage a little daily reflection with this shimmering journal. Created with a celestial watercolour print on the cover and gold-rimmed pages, each day invites your teen to jot down a memory (good, bad, or somewhere in between) and look back at how things change over their five years. A truly perfect pick for someone about to go into high school or better yet, leaving it and heading off to college.

Divoom Timebox Mini – $69.99 @ Amazon.ca and London DrugsTeens are totally into being connected, and this handy little device makes it a snap for them to multi-task. Use it to stream your favourite tunes wirelessly via Bluetooth, plus you can receive incoming text messages and social alerts with on-screen notifications, including popular emojis. Love the pixel-style graphics? You can even create your own with the free smartphone app, or choose any of the Divoom graphics from their included gallery. Plus, this pint-sized speaker (it’s about the size of two decks of cards side-by-side) also works as an alarm clock and can even sense the temperature of a space. Pretty groovy right? And perfect for any teens on your shopping list.

Milk+Sass Macaron Detangling Brushes – $16 each @ Urban OutfittersI love macarons more than just about anything – not just to eat, but aesthetically. Apparently so do the folks at luxury hair accessory brand Milk+Sass, which took the smooth round shape of a macaron as inspiration for their ultra cool line of backpack (and purse)-friendly detangling brushes. Each brush is about the size of a yoyo and folds perfectly into itself, with soft silicon bristles perfect for getting out any post-workout knots or for smoothing out your mane. There’s even an included mirror for those between class lip gloss touchups. Not only is the brush super compact (and super cute), that whole self-encased thing is genius; it means no bits of paper or food or other bag debris getting caught up in your brush (and your hair). Makes a wicked stocking stuffer or gift for any teen gal on your list.

Hearing Things Game – $25 @ Mass Market Retailers and Toy SellersLast year it was all about those games that make you try to understand what someone is saying with a giant dental contraption in this mouth…this year, Hearing Things is taking things to a whole new level, challenging you to read the lips of another person while donning a pair of noise-canceling headphones. Inspired by the viral ‘whisper challenge’ you may have seen on YouTube, this quirky game features 150 different cards and 600 phrases you’ll have to try and decipher by quite simply reading one another’s lips! Good luck – this fun game is great for the tweens and teens to play with each other or to go head to head with mom and dad.

Incase ICON LitePack – $140The right backpack is legit a part of being a teenager. Not just for style either – a good backpack should keep all their precious gear safe, and be comfortable for them to haul around town. The ICON Lite Pack from Incase accomplishes all of the above, with a sleek, minimalist exterior available in a half-dozen colours that’s also made from a durable yet lightweight nylon fabric. Inside, you’ll find a faux fur-padded pocket for your Macbook and a spacious main compartment to stash notes, magazines, or other supplies. The two exterior pockets are also handy – the little one on top is also plushly padded to keep smaller devices protected and accessible at all times.

Posterjack Prints – Prices Vary (most start around $43+)Your teen is better at documenting his or her life better than pretty much any generation before them. But those photos often end up living solely in a virtual realm, shared only on social media or stored on their phone. This year, encourage them to print a few fave photos to give their bedroom walls or desk or even their locker a little bit of life again. Posterjack has tons of options in terms of both style and size for printing your photos. My personal faves? Pint-sized canvas prints that work as table toppers or can be hung up, as well as cool metal prints that offer the sleek profile of a poster with a way longer-lasting finish. Prices vary depending on the product and size you choose, but gifting your teen with a Posterjack gift card is a great way to let them express themselves and relive their past year.

Conair MiniPro Mini Straightener – $19.99Teens are always on the go – between school, jobs, activities, parties, and even traveling. And yet today’s teens are more image-conscious than ever. This purse-sized (no seriously) straightener is a must-have for any teen that loves her mane to be sleek and shiny and straight. It heats up to over 350ºF in a matter of seconds and features smoothing ceramic technology to give you covetable locks on the go. Plus the dual-voltage adapter makes this a good choice if say, she’s going backpacking through Europe this summer and doesn’t want to fry her fancy schmancy straightener from home. At this price point, you seriously can’t go wrong!

Headline Shirts – From $24 USD (adult sizes)I know that a fair number of brands out there are doing logo / graphic tees – but I doubt any of them are making tees half as clever or on the pulse of society as what I spotted at Headline. This quirky tee (and other printed products) brand is always adding new styles that riff on popular political movements – you’ll snicker at the number of anti-Trump designs available – and in general, what’s trending amongst the younger set on social. And they’ve got the experience to back it up – the brand’s been around since 2004, creating styles that show off how you’re feeling in the funniest way possible. Virtually all of their designs are available in multiple styles too, meaning if you spot an awesome design while browsing ladies’ tees for yourself, you can snap it up for your teenage nephew (or college-bound brother, you get the picture!) no problemo. With literally dozens of different prints to choose from, the hardest part about shopping on Headline, no joke, is winnowing down which ones you’ll actually buy!

IQ Natural Pumpkin Gift Set – $34 USDI have been writing this blog for quite awhile, and I have to say, I don’t know that I’ve ever smelled something quite as delightful as IQ Natural’s Pumpkin Body Butter and Pumpkin Brown Sugar Exfoliating Scrub. This one-two punch (or would it be hug?) for your skin exfoliates with 2.5% alpha hydroxy acid, before smoothing things out with rich, natural, and organic Moroccan argan and olive oil. Given the continuing #psl love amongst the younger set, it seemed like a natural fit for teen gifts, but literally anyone would love to open this on Christmas morning, I guarantee you. Not only that, but it’s just one of many, many products and scents from this super natural beauty, skin, and body care brand. From mineral-based foundation and eye shadows to acne or age-defying skincare products to goodies to bring into the bath or tan your skin, there’s an endless array of natural goodness to choose from, meaning you can find a gift for every teen on your list!

100 Books Scratch Off Chart – $44.99 @ Amazon.caI’m a firm believer in encouraging young people to be readers for life. While the burgeoning YA book market has helped stave off the typical drop-off in reading when your child becomes a teen, why not go even further and encourage them to dive into the classics? This gorgeous poster features 100 must-read books before you die. When you teen finishes one, they scratch it off. Aren’t goals nice? Shopping for a cinephile instead? There’s an equally attractive – and worthy – movie version to gift as well.

What Do You Meme? Game – $39.99 @ ShowcaseThis gift idea is definitely skewed for the older end of the tween to teen spectrum – thinking of it as sort of a super now take on the timelessly popular Cards Against Humanity. The challenge? One person throws down a hilarious meme-worthy photo. You look at your cards and choose the caption that would best (and most hilariously) fit it. If you win, you get the photo – and the bragging rights to go alongside it. The person with the most photos (or the first person to reach a certain number of photos) ultimately wins! It’s a super fun game for your always-connected teen that’ll take their online fun analog, and still be totally enjoyable.

X-Rocker II SE Gaming Chair – $299.99This media chair is a super cool option for the kid that has an entertainment system set up in their room, or for your video game-loving teen in particular. Designed to amplify your experience with built-in speakers that you can control, this ergonomically designed chair also offers comfy armrests and a design that hugs the body for those marathon gaming sessions. If you’ve never had the thrills of shooting your way through a jungle or exploring a tomb while bass thrums underneath you, this amazing chair will totally deliver an engrossing experience.

Today I’m going to make your life – shopping for teens or I’m guessing, at least a few of these ideas that appeal to adults too – by gifting one lucky reader with a $420 prize package, including:

Celestial One Line a Day Journal

Milk+Sass Macaron Brush

Incase ICON Lite Pack

$100 Posterjack GC

Conair MiniPro Mini Straightener

$40 Headline GC

IQ Natural Pumpkin Gift Set

What Do You Meme? Game

Want to score this awesome haul? Here’s how to enter for your big chance to win it all!

1) READ THIS FIRST! You must be a Canadian Gift Guide subscriber to enter this giveaway. Just find the ‘Gift of Gab’ box on the righthand side of this page and either hit ‘Follow’ or enter your email address. Once you’ve done that, leave me a comment by December 22, 2017 telling me your three (or more!) favourite gift ideas for teens from this post.

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 23, 2017 to select the winner(s), who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.

4) Bonus Entries – Complete as many of these as you’d like, leave separate comments for each one, and you’ll earn extra entries into the draw!

Follow Milk+Sass on Instagram, then tag two friends on one of their posts that you think would love their products. Link back to the Instagram post you commented on in a separate comment below, with your IG username.

Follow Erikson on Twitter, then send out a Tweet that tags them and me (@cdngiftguide) and includes a link back to this post, highlighting this awesome giveaway. Link back to your Tweet in a separate comment below.

Follow Posterjack on Instagram and like one of their posts. Then leave a separate comment below that tells me you’ve done so and includes your IG username.

Follow Conair Canada on Instagram, then create a post on your own feed (you can regram one of theirs or grab a photo off their site or even from this post) that tags them. Link back to your post in a separate comment below.

Follow Headline on Instagram, then tag two friends on one of their posts that you think would dig their tees. Link back to the Instagram post you commented on in a separate comment below, with your IG username.

Follow IQ Natural on Instagram, then tag two friends on one of their posts that you think would adore their line. Link back to the Instagram post you commented on in a separate comment below, with your IG username.

I don’t know how to feel about this. I want all of the things on this list, for me. Sigh. I like the Incase ICON Lite Pack, Posterjack Prints, Mini Straightener and really need What Do You Meme game in my life for the holidays!

Yes … it’s really difficult to buy for them. And i hate giving gift cards. But she would swoon over the Celestial One Line a Day Diary or the Posterjack Prints and especially for the Incase ICON lite Pack. All so wonderful!!!!

My favourites from the list are the Milk & Sass detangling macaron brush (smart and cute!); the Incase ICON Life Pack (for those sore shoulders on my niece); the Posterjack Prints (because who doesn’t want the favourite picture of their dog on their wall?); and the X-Rocker II SE Gaming Chair (that my youngest niece would absolutely drool over).

Bonus http://www.shopatshowcasecanada.com/ Entry : Signed up for Showcase’s newsletter on their website – “Thank you for creating an account with Showcase!” (guess it’s more than just their newsletter!

I love so many of these gifts! Both of the games are awesome, the Hearing Things Lip Reading Game & the What Do You Meme Game, the 1 Line a Day Journal, the 100 Book Scratch Off Poster, the Posterjack Photo Canvas & the Headlines Shirts are all my favourite gifts for teens from this post.